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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22492723">Gratitude</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikariYuki/pseuds/HikariYuki'>HikariYuki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>MapleStory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:54:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,015</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22492723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikariYuki/pseuds/HikariYuki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tear wants to find something to show her gratitude to her 2 best friends and fellow Heliseum Force members. That something has to be the best!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Heliseum Force, Kyle (MapleStory) &amp; Tear (MapleStory) &amp; Velderoth (MapleStory)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gratitude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a cloudy day in the town of Pantheon. It was cooling when paired with the soft breeze that blew, a perfect for a day of training. That was why almost all the entire population of the town was outside. Many were training. Two children, a boy with unruly blue hair and the other with short green hair that exerted talent far beyond their young age, were sparing with each other. Swords clinging against each other, sweat dripping onto the ground as the warriors par each blow flawlessly. The Novas were not one for imperfection, so children are trained from a young age to become warriors suited for the tittle, a Nova. Thus, the children took this opportunity to train, all save for one little girl.</p>
<p>Little Tear was laying around in the makeshift hideout that she and her two best friends made. “Aahh, I’m so bored” the petite nova whined relentlessly to herself. She was currently hanging upside down on one of the beds inside. Her short orange hair sprawled all over the bed as she stared angrily at the pet they kept, as if that it’ll solve her problem. Realising moping around wasn’t going to help, Tear groaned as she rolled off the bed and strode towards the desk. She looked outside to see the kids happily talking with each other as they trained. Oh, how she longed to join them, but fate was cruel to her. Fate had let her been born into a supreme race that yearns for power as a magicless and tailless nova. If she were to step out, they would all turn on her, calling her names, and then her friends would come and save her. They would flee immediately upon seeing who has got her back, unfortunately it doesn’t stop them. They would pick on her every time Kyle or Velderoth wasn’t near her, taking every chance they got. Tear wouldn’t risk it, not with Kyle and Veldie busy sparing. She doesn’t want to trouble them either. With a dishearten sigh, she plopped down on the chair. Swinging her legs idly as she took in the sight before her, it was such a beautiful day as well. An idea came to her suddenly, making her stand up so fast her that the chair toppled over. Not paying the fallen chair any mind she started walking around the room, deep in thought. ‘Kyle and Veldie are always helping me. I want to show them how grateful I am’ .Her mind was working overtime on what would show them her gratitude. ‘A rock maybe? They always gave me them, but wait…….that means they could get it themselves as well……’ she placed her hand on her chin and tilted her head, a thinking motion as she sees what Veldie do when he is lost in thought. ‘A drawing….?’ She suddenly thought. She went to the makeshift storage, a box with the words ‘storage’ written on with crayon, and dug through the pile of junk they kept, until she found a piece of paper and some leftover crayons. She drew, drew the three of them together. Looking over the drawing, Tear was displeased of how it turned out, she had not a single artistic bone in her body. With a heavy sigh, she set aside the drawing and continued thinking of a better alternative. ‘Maybe a walk around town would help.’ And so, she sets forth on her little adventure.</p>
<p>Tear snuck past the kids loitering near her hideout and made her way towards town. Running into bullies wouldn’t do her any good after all. She jumped her around hiding in bushes, trees, anything she could find, her petite form helped with keeping her out of sight.  She continued until she was in the range of Fellene, her grandmother figure. The old nova had always looked out for her, though she sometimes speaks as if there was something more to her being born with a lack of tail and magic. She would apologise to Tear about it, but Tear didn’t get what was there to apologise for, it wasn’t Fellene’s fault for her being born this way. She made her way around town, looking up at the many moons Grandis has, nonchalantly counting them. “Tear dear, what might you be doing out here?” a kind voice broke Tear out of her stupor. The petite nova turned and saw her favourite elder and ran towards her, giggling all the while. “Granny Fenelle!” she yelled as she ran straight into the open arms of the elder. A small chuckle escape Fenelle’s lips as she saw the childish antics of Tear. Gently running her hand through the smaller nova’s hair, she asked once more. “I wanted to show Kyle and Veldie my a…appre….appreci.a…uhh how grateful I am! I thought a walk around town might help” Tear innocently chimed.</p>
<p>“Your appreciation huh?” Fenelle supplied.</p>
<p>“Yup!” replied Tear.</p>
<p>Fenelle proceeded to place her head into her hand, a habit she got when she was thinking. “How about you tell them?” she suggested. “That’s not enough! I want to show them.” Said Tear. Kids these days was what Fenelle thought as she led out a sigh. “Then how about something homemade?”</p>
<p>“Ohhh, that could work. Thanks Granny Fenelle” was all Tear said before running off. Fenelle watched the retreating figure of the petite nova and led out a tired sigh before softly chuckling. “she didn’t even listen to what I could suggest for her to make”</p>
<p>Tear ran until she was at one of the pantheon relics that kept their town safe from invasion. It was then that she realise that she did not have any idea on what to make. ‘Ugh, I shouldn’t have run off so fast’ her excitement had got the best of her. Rather than crying over spilt milk, Tear sat down on the steps and thought on what she could give her two best friends. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice a group of kids approaching her, until it was too late. “Well well well, what do we have here?” one of them said. A chill ran down Tear’s spine as she recognized the voice as the one of the many bullies that tormented her. She looked around frantically, trying to find an escape route, but she was surrounded by the bully’s goons. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the hopeless situation she was in. Kyle and Veldie was nowhere to be found and this area was out of Fenelle’s range, she was trapped. “Aww, is Tear going to cry?” one of the bullies taunted. She hated her name, ‘Tear shedding tears’, was this some kind of cruel joke the gods played on her? Even so, Tear refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry, and tried her best holding in back as the bullies continued taunting her. Soon it got physical, it started from throwing pebbles and soon turned into full on beating.</p>
<p> Kyle had just finished his sparing with Velderoth and was resting on a rock nearby, wiping the sweat off with a towel. He looked up when a water bottle was thrusted towards him, to see his best friend, Veldie, offering him some water as he drunk from his. The blue haired nova took it gratefully, drinking in greedy gulps, finishing the bottle in mere seconds. “Nice moves pretty boy, but you’ll have to do better than that to win against me.” said Velderoth, a smug grin already growing on his face.</p>
<p>“Ha, I’ll beat you one day Veldie” Kyle shot back.</p>
<p>“In your dreams, Kyle” replied Velderoth. A voiceless communication went by them, before they burst out laughing, playfully hitting each other’s shoulder. “Wanna go get rocks for Tear?” questioned Kyle.</p>
<p>“You bet. Race ya?” challenged Velderoth. Kyle nodded before bursting into a grin himself, and they both shot off, racing to collect the most rocks for Tear in the shortest time, leaving the trainees in the area dazed from the sudden rush of wind.</p>
<p>After a few minutes, Kyle came to their meeting spot, carrying tons of pretty rocks, only to see the smirking face of his best friend. “Argh, I lost again” he yelled in frustration, which only caused Velderoth to laugh. “Haha, I win. Let’s hurry and find Tear to give her these.” Said Velderoth. As they trudged to their hideout they noticed a group of kids surrounding something. ‘Odd’ they both thought, the novas usually don’t surround something unless it was a spectar or- ‘!’. They didn’t need words as they shared a glance, both thinking the same thing. They rushed off to the scene, abandoning the rocks, only for their suspicious to be confirmed. Tear was being bullied again. “HEY!” Velderoth yelled. The bullies froze at his exclamation, slowly turning. What they saw made them ruined their pants. Kyle and Velderoth both wore murderous expressions, any sane person would run off in the presence of the town’s best child soldiers, especially when they were in a bad mood. And they were indeed in a very bad mood, they don’t show mercy to anybody bullying their best friend. The bullies quickly ran off, with their tails quite literally between their legs, leaving behind a crying Tear. The two would have chased after them, but the sight of Tear made them rush towards her as she was their top priority. They gave their best attempts in comforting her, and while she had stopped crying, she appeared gloomier than usual, concerning Kyle and Velderoth. They stuck by her side as they trotted back to their hideout, shooting dirty glares at anyone who even looks at Tear funny.</p>
<p>The dual’s concerned grew when Tear was being awfully quiet in their hideout. They looked towards each other, silently asking for any solution to this. A quiet sniffling made them snap their heads back at the petite nova. “S-sorry. You guys had to come save me again *<em>hic*</em>  All I do is trouble you…” she muttered softly between sniffles. Alarmed that their best friend would even think that she was a burden, they quickly reassured her. Tear looked up at her two best friends, desperately trying to convince her otherwise, leading to a blur of words as they stuttered and talked over each other. Even though she could barely understand them, she got the message. She was truly blessed to have such nice friends. A tiny giggle made the two stop, finally noticing that she had stopped crying and was even giggling. A small smile etched on their faces as watched and listened to Tear’s laugher. They were caught off guard when Tear suddenly tackled both of them in a hug, causing all of them to lose their balance and fall. They laid there stunned, and soon broke into cheerful laughter. The three of them found comfort from each other, just staying in that position, no matter how uncomfortable, and soon feel asleep.</p>
<p>Velderoth awoke first. He was an early riser after all and often woke before his two friends. Carefully untangling himself from the hold of those two sleepyheads, he stood and stretched, flapping his wings a few times to return the feeling. A piece of paper that flew to the ground caught his eye. It must have been from the wing generated from his wings he thought. He picked it up and was surprised to see the picture. It was of the three of them, all wearing smiles with the captions of ‘FRIENDS FOREVER’ with a misspelling of the word ‘friends’. The art was far from good, but what could you except from a small child. Velderoth scoffed as he knew this terrible art was drawn by the one and only Tear. But…………it still managed to bring a smile to Velderoth’s face. He looked back and saw the peaceful sleeping face of said nova, cuddling with an equally peaceful Kyle. Chuckling, he hanged up the drawing and made a silent wish to the heavens. ‘I wish for us to remain as friends, to forever to come.’</p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was a gift for a fellow maplestory friend of mine. We both bonded over Heliseum Force and I thought this would have been a fitting gift.<br/>This fic was also written a few years ago, so hope you enjoy past!me's work.<br/>Artwork by @Meistle: https://twitter.com/Meistle</p></blockquote></div></div>
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